Ocean Views Award Winners, 2011

Thanks to a passionate group of fearless ocean photographers, you can stare-down a yellow-mouth moray eel, a sperm whale, and a harlequin shrimp. These are just three of the subjects in the 2011 Nature's Best Photography Ocean Views Contest. Like the animals they captured with their cameras, the photographers spanned the globe. Use the arrows below to view this slideshow and also check out a slideshow of winners from 2010.

Bigeye Jacks and Diver Balicasag, Philippines

"I was photographing this beautiful school of jacks when a diver slowly approached from beneath. I shifted my position to capture the moment he entered the ball of fish. Seconds later, he was completely immersed in the school.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Steve De Neef

Credit: Steve De Neef, Antwerp, Belgium www.stevedeneef.com

Sperm Whale, Dominica

“For the past few years I have visited the island of Dominica to enjoy its beauty both above and below the surface. This photo was taken during a lucky encounter with a member of the ‘group of 7’ pod. A very young calf measuring about 25 feet long came over and played with us for well over 45 minutes. The whale would swim right up to us, causing us to back away, then dive below us, spinning around while trying to rub against us. I suspect that part of its behavior was due to the exfoliation she was experiencing and possibly the presence of remora; she seemed to want us to rub her to help get the loose skin and remora off of her.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Peter G. Allinson

Harlequin Shrimp East of Bali, Indonesia

"Harlequin shrimp normally live in pairs and their main diet is starfish... It takes a good eye and patience to find this beautiful shrimp, which looks like candy.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Vincenzo Apuzzo

Credit: Vincenzo Apuzzo, Sardegna, Italy, www.divesardegna.com

Spinner Dolphins Ogasawara Island, Tokyo, Japan

“I took this photograph of spinner dolphins in calm waters off the Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles south of Tokyo. When the sun briefly broke through the clouds, our shadow was mirrored in the water’s surface—and for a moment we were united with the dolphins and the sky.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Toshio Minami

Credit: By Toshio Minami, Tokyo, Japan www.h5.dion.ne.jp/gminami

Common Tern Silhouette, Nickerson Beach, Long Island, New York, USA

“A tern colony resides here for the better part of the summer, raising their young and preparing for their migration south. In August, the birds often become very busy at dusk as they retrieve fish from the ocean to satisfy the hunger of their rapidly growing chicks." -- Nature's Best photographer, Thomas Pfeifer

Sockeye Salmon, Adams River, British Columbia, Canada

“Every four years, sockeyes come inland from the Pacific to spawn. The year 2010 was the largest run in 100 years, reaching more than 30 million fish. On this day, I waited for the right sunlight, then quietly slipped into the river. Fighting the rush of the current, I positioned myself in front of the fish as they hugged the shore." -- Nature's Best photographer, Todd Mintz

Credit: Todd Mintz, Regina Saskatchewan, Canada, www.tmintz.com

Inside the Wave, Makena Beach, Maui

“While the shore-break at Makena Beach is notoriously dangerous and powerful, it also makes for some amazing images. On this particular morning I convinced my brother, Forrest, to ride a couple of waves on his boogie board just as the sun came over the crest of Haleakala. Shooting barreling shore-break can be dangerous for both a photographer and his camera, but as this particular wave came in and jacked up on the sand bar, I knew it was going to be something special. I was really thrilled with how this image turned out!” -- Nature's Best photographer, Quincy Dein

Credit: Quincy Dein, Maui, Hawaii, USA www.quincydein.com

Green Turtle, Armeñime, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

“As an underwater nature photographer, I struggled for a new way to bring back visions of fish and fauna. Soon I discovered that taking water out of the picture, rendering it invisible while it is still evident that it surrounds the subject, is a powerful vehicle for driving the viewer's full attention to the subject's character." -- Nature's Best photographer, Pedro Carrillo

Yellow-mouth Moray Eel in the Red Sea (Eilat, Israel)

“This moray eel was resting among some hard coral and was mesmerized by my dive lights, making it a very cooperative subject. The moray eel rhythmically opens and closes its mouth to move water through its gills and facilitate respiration, giving it the appearance of being aggressive and making for a dramatic portrait.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Steven Kovacs